Tumble Talk: Elizabethe Manzi

Maryland Athletics

12-1-2013

Hey Terp Fans!

After an exciting an action-filled week with practices and our first intrasquad meet, the Terps have headed home to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their families and friends. Although I miss my Terp family, it is great to see my parents and have some home-cooked meals… especially turkey!

Our first intrasquad was a fun learning experience for all of us. We were able to show the judges our routines on each event, and get their feedback on what we can improve upon to prepare for this season. It was great to hear what they had to say, and also to simulate the high-pressure situations we’ll encounter all season. We are prepared early, so now it’s just a matter of perfecting our skills and getting out those meet jitters! Also, shout out to the freshman who competed for the first time, and to the sophomores who also had their debut! Now, with the first meet behind us, we understand our strengths and weaknesses, and can use that to ensure we win every meet this year.

Following the meet, most of us left on Tuesday evening for home, going as far as Florida, California, Pennsylvania and more. We had a full practice on Monday, and then we were able to come into the gym and complete our assignments in between classes on Tuesday. Stephanie, Nikki, and I all travelled back to New Jersey together, and were able to still have fun despite the traffic! Then, I had Thanksgiving dinner with my whole family at my cousin’s house, and took the day to remember how blessed I am to have my family, friends, health, and opportunities as a Terp. Now that we’ve had a few days to rest, we are mentally and physically ready to begin the next phase of training!

Although being at home has been great, we are headed back to campus to begin preparations for our next meet, the Red vs. Black Intrasquad! In the next week, we will find out if we are on the Red or Black team, and continue to perfect our skills. I am so excited to see everyone’s routines really come together, especially since we have one meet under our belts. This meet will be a hint of what’s to come this season, and it will definitely be exciting to watch. I hope to see you all there! GO RED! GO BLACK!